Make memories everyday
As we get older, we often reflect on our younger years and the fond memories we have created, which add depth and richness to our lives.
Each day try to create a highlight, from the small things to big life moments, all the memories we create throughout the years build up to create an enrich and fulfilled life. With plenty of lessons and words of wisdom to share with younger generations.
The term Blue Zones has been used to describe places where people live long and healthy lives. What exactly does it take to live a long and healthy life? What is the science and the secret behind longevity and life extension? In this series, we are talking to medical experts, wellness experts, and longevity experts to share “5 Things You Need To Live A Long, Healthy, & Happy Life”. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Hannah Karim.
Hannah Karim is Care Expert Manager at Lottie — a later living marketplace. Hannah leads a team of 5 care experts helping families in the UK to find the best care for their loved ones, over the last two years Hannah and the team have helped over ten thousand families.
Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’?
I’m an elderly care expert, working at Lottie — a UK based later living marketplace, helping families across the country to find the perfect care solution for their loved ones.
Prior to joining Lottie I worked at Age UK (a leading charity in the UK supporting elderly people). I have a passion for challenging society’s stereotypes around ageing and aim to help all the families and elderly people I support be better able to continue living a fulfilled life — no matter their age.
An interesting fact about me is that I was Lottie’s first ever care expert and have grown the team to include 5 people over the last 2 years, helping tens of thousands of families find the best care option for themselves and their loved ones.
Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?
Helping families to find the best care for their loved ones each day, I’ve had the pleasure of talking to a variety of different people and learning from their stories.
There is no one story from my career that has stood out the most. However, listening to feedback from care seekers we’ve supported to find the best care option for their loved ones is often the highlight of my day. It amazing to hear the positive impact moving into a care home with a caring environment, plenty of activities and connections to the community can have on residents.
From this I’ve learned it’s important to cherish the smaller things in life and to enjoy every moment. I’ve made a promise to myself to continue spending time enjoying my hobbies and staying connected to friends and family through all stages in life.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I’m grateful for all my friends and family throughout the years. My parents have helped shape the person I am today and have been the driving force behind all my successes along the way.
My parents have always encouraged me to be the best version of myself and supported my aspirations and goals. I always remember them telling me when I was younger to ‘believe in myself’ and this has instilled confidence in me to raise awareness for topics I am passionate about. for example, addressing society’s misconceptions of ageing.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
In my role as a Care Expert Manager, I have had the privilege of witnessing the life changing benefits of finding the perfect care solution for thousands of families and I’m so grateful I’m able to share these learnings with my team.
Here are the characters traits I believe have been most instrumental in my success:
Empathy: Caregivers both paid and unpaid experience a huge amount of stress and pressure in their daily lives. For instance, many of the care seekers I support are often juggling work commitments with caring responsibilities for their parents. Being able to listen, connect and offer support on a personal level has helped me to find the best care solution for many families struggling to find appropriate or affordable care for their loved ones.
Adaptability: The healthcare landscape is constantly evolving, and to be successful in my role I have to be adaptable to new technologies, treatments, and policies. Staying up to date on the latest care news and sector changes has allowed me to offer the very best practical advice on a range of topics including funding care, the process of moving into a care home and the different types of care.
Communication Skills: Effective communication is vital in the care sector and crucial in helping families understand all their care options. From being able to chat to care seekers over the phone to sharing important information over email I have developed my communication skills over the years to be better able to support care seekers.
Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of our interview about health and longevity. To begin, can you share with our readers a bit about why you are an authority in the fields of health, wellness, and longevity? In your opinion, what is your unique contribution to the world of wellness?
Lottie is a later living marketplace and we’re partnered with leading care providers across the country, including care homes and home care services. In my day-to-day role I work with families across the UK to help them find the best care for their loved ones, often working closely with our partner care providers. I lead a team of 5 care experts all on the same mission to elevate later living and so far, we have supported tens of thousands of families across the country to find the right level of care and support for their unique needs.
My favourite part of my role is building relationships with families and helping them to find the best care home. I love catching up with all new residents after moving in and hearing that they’re thriving in their new community.
This often involves taking community visits to the care home we are partnered with to catch up with residents we’ve supported to find their dream home and organise fun activities.
For example, most recently we visited Alston House Care Home (a Hamberley Care Home in Eastleigh) and helped residents get involved with the Southampton Boat Show — a local event in the community. We worked closely with Lidia Nikolova Gjorgjieva, Wellbeing and Lifestyle Coach at Alston House to organise a week of activities for residents to enjoy, each based around the Southampton International Boat show, including a visit to race their own boats at River Itchen Valley Park.
The activity was great fun for everyone involved. 83-Year-Old Alison, a resident at Alston House reminisced on bringing her two dogs, Benji and Gemma, for walks along the river and described the boat race as her “perfect day out”.
84-year-old Maz, another resident at Alston House Care Home, made it a tradition to go to the Southampton Boat Show with her husband each year and fondly reminisced on how “we used to go and look at the big boats and enjoy being by the water. The weather was always nice and warm, just like this year.”
It’s great to be involved in activities like this at Alston House and they are a wonderful way to stay connected to the local community as you age and offer the perfect opportunity to reminisce on unique and fond memories of living in Southampton and beyond through the years.
Seekers throughout history have travelled great distances and embarked on mythical quests in search of the “elixir of life,” a mythical potion said to cure all diseases and give eternal youth. Has your search for health, vitality, and longevity taken you on any interesting paths or journeys? We’d love to hear the story.
Before starting my role as Care Expert Manager at Lottie, I worked for Age UK (a leading charity in the UK supporting elderly people). In both roles I have learnt age really is just a number.
I’ve been so lucky to meet so many people — each with amazing stories to tell — with many people achieving great milestones later in life. For example, one lady at our partner care home wrote a book for her grandchildren with the help of the Wellbeing Coordinator at the home. The book is called ‘Lucy And The Bear’ and is now published and available to purchase.
At Lottie we’re on a mission to elevate later living and help families and elderly people across the UK find the best care option for them. In my role I’ve learnt the secret to a long and happy life is to stay connected to friends, family, and your community to live a fulfilling life, packed with amazing activities and adventures — and these shouldn’t stop when you require additional care or support. Just like the activity we ran at Alston House; elderly care services can enhance your quality of life at any age.
Based on your research or experience, can you please share your “5 Things You Need To Live A Long & Healthy Life”?
There’s no one way to grow old and this will look different for us all. However, there are small steps we can all take to live a long, healthy, and happy life:
1 . Staying connected to others
Social connections are a key part of good wellbeing, no matter your age. However, staying connected to others is important later in life to reduce any feelings of isolation, or loneliness, and to create a sense of purpose and belonging.
There are lots of ways you can stay connected to others as you grow older. For example, continuing to join your hobbies, joining a local community group, and simply chatting to friends and family in-person and over the phone.
The Boat Show activity at Alston House is a great example of encouraging older adults to form social connections later in life and get involved in the local community.
2 . Leading a healthy lifestyle
As we age it’s important to lead a healthy lifestyle, balanced diet and stay active to stay fit and well.
Try to eat 3 regular meals a day and incorporate healthy snack options into your lifestyle. For example, dairy (cheese, milk, and eggs), oily fish high in omega-3 and fruits and vegetables are all good options to maintain a balanced diet.
Regular exercise helps to improve your overall fitness levels. Gentle weight bearing and resistance exercises can improve bone density and decrease your risk of osteoporosis (a health condition that causes bones to weaken and increases the risk of injuries such as broken bones and fractures). Brisk walking, or gentle exercise programmes using your body weight can all improve your bone and muscle strength as you age.
3 . Cognitive stimulation
Cognitive stimulation is important to keep your brain active and is a helpful support tool for those living with neurological conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s.
For example, creative hobbies like knitting, crochet, painting, and puzzles stimulate cognitive thinking and can improve your memory and problem-solving skills — contributing to a more fulfilling and mentally active lifestyle and promoting overall cognitive health.
4 . Mindfulness
We all live busy lives, and it can be easy to go through your day-to-day life on autopilot, so it’s important to take time out of your day to slow down and appreciate the little things. For example, savouring the first sip of your morning coffee, or taking time in the evening to practice self-care.
Practising mindfulness can help to reduce stress levels, improve your sleep and improve your overall wellbeing. Enhancing your quality of life.
5 . Make memories everyday
As we get older, we often reflect on our younger years and the fond memories we have created, which add depth and richness to our lives.
Each day try to create a highlight, from the small things to big life moments, all the memories we create throughout the years build up to create an enrich and fulfilled life. With plenty of lessons and words of wisdom to share with younger generations.
Can you suggest a few things needed to live a life filled with happiness, joy, and meaning?
A life filled with happiness, joy and meaning comes from enriching life experiences. For example, finding a hobby you enjoy and practising this often. Or creating core memories with your friends and family — whether this is through annual trips to the beach, regular family meals or a holiday of a lifetime.
The beauty of life is that we all have unique experiences and no one person will have the same memories or life lessons to share. Explore the world, try new things, and meet lots of new people, that way you’ll find yourself living a fulfilled and meaningful life.
Some argue that longevity is genetic, while others say that living a long life is simply a choice. What are your thoughts on this nature vs. nurture debate? Which is more important?
All of us will age differently, and whilst there are health conditions many of us will experience as we grow older such as the risk of higher blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and heart conditions. There are lots of things we can do to stay healthy.
1 . Stay active
There is strong evidence that regular, physical activity is one of the best ways to lower your risk of developing many health conditions associated with growing older.
Try to do at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise every week — finding little ways to move more throughout the day can make all the difference — including taking the stairs instead of the lift and walking to the shops instead of driving or using public transport.
2 . Eat well
Eating a balanced diet full of fresh fruit and vegetables is also known to reduce your risk of health conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Where possible, try to eat less red meat in your diet, eat more fish (especially oily fish like mackerel) and limit the amount of salt in your foods.
3 . Avoid smoking
The most important thing is that it’s never too late to stop smoking, and you can still reap the rewards when you quit. Smoking harms the circulation of blood around your body and can increase your risk of dementia in later life, along with other health conditions.
4 . Reduce your alcohol intake
There is lots of evidence that shows a higher consumption of alcohol increases your risk of developing a high blood pressure and problems with the body’s vital organs like the liver and heart.
Avoid drinking any more than 14 units per week — and be mindful that some alcoholic drinks consume more units than you might think. Where possible, spread out your alcohol consumption over the week — you could always set yourself alcohol-free days, and try alcohol-free alternatives.
Life sometimes takes us on paths that are challenging. How have you managed to bounce back from setbacks in order to cultivate physical, mental, and emotional health?
There’s a new lesson to learn each day and I try to make the time out of my day to reflect on my achievements, ambitions and any new experiences or challenges I can learn from.
If I’m struggling to achieve a goal or experience a knock back — I don’t see this as a failure. There’s no one person that’s got everything perfect the first time round. I try to learn from my experience and evaluate what I could do differently next, making note of key learnings. Being kind to myself and adapting in the face of adversity has helped me to get where I am today.
Can you please give us your favourite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?
At Lottie we work with residents living in care homes across the country and I have had the pleasure of learning lots of life lessons from each resident.
However, the quote that stood out the most for me was when we ran the boat decorating and racing activity with Alston House Care Home and one of the residents shared ‘please keep doing things like this it keeps us young’.
From this I learnt that life is short, and we must fill our days with meaningful activities with those we love the most.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
In a world that often worships youthfulness and fears ageing, the positive aspects of growing older are frequently overlooked — and I’d love to change this perspective many people have.
Ageing is a natural journey marked by wisdom, experience, and resilience. It is crucial for younger generations to witness representations of age in the media and in their lives, to understand and appreciate the diverse stages of life.
I’m so grateful that in my role at Lottie I’m able to promote inclusivity and representation across all age groups. No matter how small, I truly believe I take a positive step in challenging stereotypes and inspiring individuals to embrace every stage of life with confidence and pride each day.
What is the best way for our readers to continue to follow your work online?
I often share my elderly care insights on Lottie’s blog which covers a range of eldercare topics from dementia care, fees and funding advice and practical and emotional resources.
You can stay up to date with my latest articles by visiting The Lottie Blog.
I also share any brand-new research, marketing campaigns and sector news that is relevant to the care industry on my personal social media channels — like my LinkedIn profile.
There are also various ways you can join the Lottie community and find out more about our mission to elevate later living. Our website (https://lottie.org/) includes detailed information on our mission, how Lottie works and how you can access our free concierge service with our team of care experts. Of course our website also showcases all of the amazing care homes and retirement living properties available through Lottie.
We’re active across our social channels, including Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn and we regularly post business updates, care industry trends and wholesome content.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.